The three destructive emotions experienced by Adam and Eve when they “saw that they were naked” and they experienced shame were guilt, anger, and fear. 1. They covered up (guilt) in regret, attempting to prove to themselves that they weren’t really naked after all. Past. 2. They blamed each other. And God (“the woman you gave me, she made me eat”). This contempt (which turned inward to self-contempt turns to despair and depression, made them feel like they weren’t really naked or at least diminished that fact. Present. 3. And they ran and hid (fear) which made them hope they’d no longer appear naked. Anxiety and its frenetic energy keeps us on the run. Future.
All these emotions are in an attempt to deny, diminish or distort the obvious: we are hopeless and helpless in ourselves to solve or resolve our condition. We are naked, exposed, and in deeper need than we can imagine. But there’s hope in being “clothed” by Him, in Him and through Him. First, embrace the exposure as a gift and then engage with the Deliverer through faith. The destructive emotions will begin to dissipate and the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.) will replace them as He clothes us in His righteousness (Romans 1:17).
Pocta’s Pontifications 